Who’s gonna argue with this one? Hard to imagine it was a very long meeting at Relapse when they were deciding to get behind a vinyl reissue of YOB‘s 2003 sophomore outing, Catharsis. “So, here’s one of the best albums of the last decade remastered by Tad Doyle sounding more kickass than ever. Should we get on board?” “Yes.” Meeting adjourned. Everybody goes to lunch.

Seriously, Catharsisis one of if not the most essential documents of American doom since the end of Sleep, and I know that sounds like hyperbole, but it’s true and anyone who tells you otherwise is simply mistaken. Profound Lore put out the CD of the Doyle remaster — you’ll also note the new artwork by Aaron Edge, completing the Lumbar triumvirate — last year, and aside from a Roadburn-exclusive gold with black splatter version (fucking kill me that’s awesome), there are a host of killer editions set to arrive in late Feb./early March.

Details via the PR wire:

YOB: Doom Metal Classic Catharsis to See Deluxe Vinyl Reissue

Relapse Records is proud to announce the re-release of YOB’s psyche-doom metal classic Catharsis on vinyl. After being out of print on vinyl for over six years, Catharsishas been given the deluxe re-issue treatment and will be released the way it was meant to be presented. Re-mastered from the original tapes by Tad Doyle, the reissue features stunning new artwork by Aaron Edge and brand new liner notes from Guitarist / Vocalist Mike Scheidt.

Catharsis will see it’s official vinyl re-release on March 4th in North America, March 3rd in the UK/World and February 28th in Germany/Benelux/Finland. The vinyl includes a digital download of the full album and is being pressed on four limited color variations including gold, gold with black splatter (available exclusively at Roadburn), clear with black, bone white & gold splatter, and a special swamp green with purple & yellow splatter version that includes a blacklight poster available exclusively at Relapse.com. Pre-orders are currently available via this location while a trailer with detailed pictures of vinyl colors is available via this location. The full album can be streamed here.

Additionally, YOB will be headlining Roadburn Festival’s official Afterburner party on April 13th in Tilburg, NL alongside Triptykon, Avatarium, Morne, Bolzer and many others. Details are available here.

A classic of modern doom and inarguably one of the most pivotal albums of the decade since its release, YOB‘s second full-length, Catharsis, is set to be reissued by Profound Lore on Nov. 12. The new version of the album — complete with new art by Aaron Edge, remastering by Tad Doyle and liner notes from YOB‘s own Mike Scheidt (the three parties also collaborating in the new project Lumbar) — is sourced from the original tapes and gives those who missed it the first time around or who came aboard a chance to experience an absolute cosmic masterpiece that has become a blueprint like very little before or since.

Scheidt will also kick off a cross-country solo tour with Uzala on Oct. 13 at the Fall into Darkness festival, and you can find the dates for that along with the PR wire info on the new version of Catharsisbelow:

Within doom metal circles, there are good number of YOB and doom metal fans alike that consider YOB’s second full-length album “Catharsis” as the trio’s shining moment. In turn it would become one of the most cult American doom metal albums over the succeeding years where YOB would build up their reputation as one of the penultimate titans in doom metal today. The only hindrance had been that “Catharsis” had been out of print for many years and would become the band’s most sought-after item from their repertoire as the initial label that released it folded and the album was never re-pressed or made available again for wider consumption. That is until now.

Ten years after its release (though “Catharsis” was recorded in 2002, much before it was first released in Nov of 2003) Profound Lore is proud to unveil the definitive re-issue of YOB’s sought after cult classic. Re-mastered from its original tape source by legendary grunge godfather Tad Doyle, making “Catharsis” sound that much more complete and monstrous than its original incarnation, along with new artwork and presentation by Aaron Edge and liner notes by YOB mastermind Mike Scheidt, this re-issue (which is just presented with the three tracks that comprise “Catharsis” as a whole) of one of the most colossal American doom metal releases of the last ten years is a reminder of how the vision of YOB culminated and began as a singular entity to what it has become today. That being YOB’s recognition as one of the most important bands in heavy music today.

Every year at Roadburn since 2010, I’ve allowed myself to watch one set from the side of the stage in the main room at the 013. I attended in 2009 too, but too chickenshit to actually get up there and make it happen. In 2010, it was Garcia Plays Kyuss. In 2011, Acid King. Last year, it was YOB playing Catharsis in its entirety at the Afterburner — one of the last sets of the whole weekend. I held out for it, and when they started up with “Aeons,” took to the photo pit with the bevvy of far-more-professional Euro photographers, but knew that by the time they hit into the title-track (the third of three songs on the album), I wanted to be up there watching.

So I went. Catharsisis a landmark for me, an album that expanded my definition of what heavy could be, and from the opening guitar lines to the massive, earth-cracking apex and Mike Scheidt‘s deathly roar and desperate space ethereality, the song “Catharsis” is a doomed masterpiece. I got to the side of the stage by the time the band was through “Ether” and didn’t move from that spot for the rest of the hour. They’d already done 2005’s The Unreal Never Lived— the swan song of their original run — earlier in the fest (streaming here), but this one was something special. It was one of those things I couldn’t miss, had to see, was so glad to be there to see. Everything else revolved around this set. I can’t imagine anyone in the room felt differently about it.

Today Roadburn made YOB‘s Catharsis set available for streaming and you’ll find it embedded on the player below, with my gratitude as always to Walter, Marcel and the whole Roadburn crew. If I’m not mistaken, YOB are doing the album elsewhere this year, and if you can see it, consider yourself urged to do so. Until then, this: